Summary
Doyle receives a new vision that sends the group to the club scene. They soon learn they are looking for a serial killer who has been seeking his prey in D'Oblique, a local singles bar. While searching the crowd, Angel meets a woman named Kate who seems to be the type that the killer has been targeting. Distracted because he is making a real, human connection with Kate, Angel does not notice another young woman being lured out of the bar. The next night Angel manages to find a clue to the killer’s location, and he races against time to prevent another innocent death. However, someone else is heading to the same place perhaps to help Angel, perhaps to stop him.
Plot
Doyle has a vision of trouble at a bar but no details on who is in trouble or what kind of trouble it is. At the bar, an attractive man named Kevin picks up a mousy blonde woman with lines about true love. Doyle, Cordelia and Angel go to the bar and attempt to discover who needs their help. None of them do especially well. Cordy is mistaken for a hooker, Doyle is mistaken for a pimp and a young man thinks Angel was trying to pick him up. Angel does however meet Kate. They have a very awkward conversation about meeting people and making a connection. It ends badly and Angel has to jump into the bar fight that Doyle started over Cordelia’s honor. By the end of the evening, they’ve discovered nothing useful. The next morning, following Kevin and the blonde having sex, we find the blonde looking suddenly not so mousy. But Kevin’s a corpse.
Angel, Cordy and Doyle research strange events surrounding the bar. They discover a missing person and a dead body. Angel returns to the bar and runs into Kate again. They have another conversation that ends badly. The blonde is at the bar smoothly talking up a young man and they leave together. Angel overhears something at the bar that gives him an idea of where to find the killer. He takes off to try and stop it. When he gets to the blonde’s apartment, he’s too late. The “thing” inhabiting her body has already burrowed into the young man’s body leaving her eviscerated corpse on the bed. It tells Angel that it will keep going from body to body looking for the right one. They fight and it runs off leaving Angel behind in the apartment with a dead body. Kate arrives and pulls out her gun and badge revealing that she’s a cop.
Kate attempts to arrest Angel. He dives out the window to escape and heads for Cordy’s apartment. Angel puts them on research duty while he goes back to find the demon, who has found its next victim. They discover it’s a parasitic demon that is very strong and eviscerates its host but it can be killed with fire. Angel enlists Kate’s help to find the killer. She goes to the bar to meet Angel. The bartender, who is now the host of the demon, lures her out back and knocks her unconscious. Angel stops it before the demon can transfer from the bartender into Kate but it locks them both in the basement. The demon tries to find a new host to burrow into but everyone shies away from the bartender’s rapidly disintegrating body. Angel and Kate escape and Angel chases down the demon. They fight and Angel manages to kill it with fire from a nearby trash can. Kate, who still knows nothing about any demons, believes that the bartender was the serial killer and asks for a fresh start with Angel. He gives her his card and disappears into the night.
Dialogue
Instead, you're moping around the dark like some kind of...
Vampire?
Well, I was gonna say slacker...but yeah, to you Mr. Obvious.
Tell her what a great guy I am.
I barely know you.
Perfect. That should make it easier for you then.
Great idea. Calling cards. Its not like you have a signal folks can shine in the sky whenever they need help.
Look at that, there's our number right next to...a...uh...butterfly?
It's obviously not a butterfly, you idiot. It's a bird. No, no wait...it's an owl...no...
Hey, you look troubled. Or is that just your lazy eye? Anyway, call us. We're very discreet.
See, you need to chat people up a bit more casual like, you know? "Hi, what's your name? How's life treating you? What's that you say? Minions from hell getting you down?
Seriously, I wasn't hitting on you.
I'm not good at this...talking.
Basically I help...uh...I'm a veterinarian.
Violence is not gonna solve a thing...on the other hand, it's kind of festive.
This socializing thing is brutal. I mean, I was young once. I used to go to bars. It was never like this.
No, you used to go to taverns.
Well, a couple hundred years ago, the only thing you had to worry about was a hangover. Today, cause of your curse thingy, you can't sleep with anyone or else you might feel a moment of true happiness and lose your soul, become evil -again- and kill everyone.
Thanks Cordelia. I always appreciate your perspective.
No problem.
Downloading pictures of naked women?
Well, that's more or less accurate.
I can go wherever I want...and you can go to Hell.
Been there, done that.
I've known a lot of demons, and slime aside, not a lot going on there.
I thought girls were supposed to like pretty things.
You promise you'll stay good?
You actually live here?
Yes, okay? Is it my fault that maid service was interrupted? It was supposed to go home, hotel, hotel, husband. Now, can we move on?
It's a burrower.
It's a donkey? We didn't see any donkey demons.
I know you guys have been working hard. Cooped up inside a lot and to show my appreciation, I was think, the night bein', you know, young and all, that the three of us could...should...maybe uh....go out. You know, for fun.
Or, we can go home.
And you could sit in the dark, alone.
God yes. Thank you.